TRIGLYCERIDES/CARBOHYDRATES/FATS

Much of the carbohydrates we eat are processed into triglycerides which are supposed to be converted into energy. When we eat more carbohydrates than the body can use, the carbohydrates are still converted into triglycerides….then to fatty acids…then stored as FAT.

I found some great reading material on carbs and the roles they play as energy foods. (See the bottom of this paragrah) There is a BIG difference in the types of carbohydrates we eat. If we can reduce our intake of refined carbohydrates (sugar, pasta, rice, flour, cereals, etc.) this will definitely help to reduce our blood cholesterol levels better than eliminating fats from our diets.

Most of us city dwellers gravitate towards the multitude of shops that cater to the quick meal and sweet snack foods. Our overindulgence in mass produced foods is leading to illness, weight problems, diabetes as well as low physical and mental energy. With all the Listeria and bacterial scares of late, (especially in Canada), this seems to be telling us to limit our eating patterns of processed and refined foods. Are we listening?

“High intake of refined carbohydrates enhances the formation of VLDL cholesterol, or “bad cholesterol” and reduces levels of HDL, [ the “good cholesterol”]. Many metabolic studies have shown that high-carbohydrate diets increase levels of fasting triglycerides as well as increase fat deposits by facilitating the conversion of excess carbohydrates to fats. High blood glucose and increased insulin output are associated with a high carbohydrate diet can also lead to high blood pressure, as well as inflammatory responses that are predictive of increased cardiovascular disease risk and can also cause digestive disorders and general discomfort.”http://healthsolutionswellnesscenter.com/rc.aspx

Fats and oils are collectively termed as LIPIDS. Fats are usually solid at room temperature and the Oils are in a liquid form. Lipids have another chemical name……TRIGLYCERIDES!

There are three basic types of LIPIDS…..Mono Unsaturated, Poly Unsaturated and Saturated.

Mono Unsaturated fats do not increase the cholesterol levels of the blood, examples of these fats are olive oil, and certain nuts such as macadamia, hazelnut, almond, canola, pistachio, peanut and sesame.

Certain polyunsaturated fats are known to have the ability to lower the cholesterol of the blood as well as the prevention of hardened arteries and heart disease. Sunfllower, corn, soy, peanut, all contain Linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that cannot be produced by the body and needs to be supplied by our diet. The problem with polyunsaturated fats is that they oxidize every easily. Oxidization occurs when the body lacks antioxidants……oxidation of goods lead to the release of free radicals which can alter cells and have been linked to the aging process and cancer. Also some polyunsaturated fats can be potentially harmful…specifically margarine, shortening and heated oils.

“Polyunsaturated oils are chemically unstable. This is because they have a number of loose, double carbon bonds in their atomic strucutre. When subjected to heat orair, they oxidize rapidly to form harmful free readicals. The more unsaturated the oil the more potentially hazardous it is in this regard. Examples of oils that are predominantely polyunsaturated are safflower, sunflower, soy, corn and walnut.

The most hazardus vegetable oils of all are the ones used in restaurants and deep frying. These oils are heated and reheated many, many times over. They are rancid, but you cannot taste or smell that rancidity because of deodorants that manufacturers purposely add……

Even the highly touted so-called ‘cold pressed’ oils can be potentially harmful. For one thing, many of them are procssed at a ‘cold’ temperature of over 100 degrees celsius. For another, as soon as they are exposed to air they deteriorate rapidly — and if heated their destruction is virtually guaranteed.” David W. Rowland, PhD

Polyunsaturated fats can be as bad for your heart as saturated fats if a diet does not include a full complement of antioxidants. (see list below of foods rich in antioxidants)

Saturated Oils are found in meats, pork, dairy products, cheese and palm oil. Thse fats raise your total cholesterol level, especially LDL cholesterol, but they are not the cause of the heart disease. In fact these natural fats are known as stable and do contain tiny amounts of essential fatty acids. The thing is we can only convert a limited amount of Saturated Fats each day…..some will be eliminated from the body and some will be stored in various different areas of the body.

“All fats and oils are made up of a mixture of saturated, mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Calling animal fats “saturated fats” is very misleading, as many animal fats are actually more than 50% unsaturated, and chicken fat is actually 70% unsaturated. If a fat were completely saturated it would be very solid with the consistency of hard wax. For example, beef fat or tallow is made up of about 50% saturated fatty acids (25% palmitic acid, 22% stearic acid and others), 40% monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid, the main fatty acid in olive oil), and the balance polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic, the ratio depending on the diet of the cattle).

Saturated fatty acids are critical to maintaining the structure and rigidity of our cells by making cell membranes out of phospholipids and cholesterol, and they act as enzyme and hormone regulators thereby playing an integral role in cell messaging. When the body is fooled and incorporates trans fats into the cell membrane instead of saturated fats, cell messaging no longer works, which is one of the reasons trans fats are so dangerous.

Saturated fats are necessary for calcium to be incorporated into our bones, so no-fat or skim milk won’t work as a calcium source, unless you eat some saturated fat in your meal. Saturated fats are needed to boost immune function, and to build a healthy nervous system and digestive tract. Saturated fats are the base material out of which the body makes cholesterol, which is the precursor to such critical hormones as vitamin D, cortisol, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone, as well as bile acids which are necessary for the digestion of fats. Fats also are needed as carriers for the fat soluble vitamins (the antioxidant vitamins), like vitamin A, E, D, K, and a low fat diet can lead to deficiencies in these nutrients. Saturated fats are also needed to be able to utilize omega 3 fatty acids easily. Breast milk is high in saturated fat for a reason – it is vital for the healthy development of the baby! Does it make sense that saturated fats which are vital for a baby are suddenly poison for an adult?”From: http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/04/06/saturated_fat_the_misunderstood_nutrient

So-o-o we need a healthy combination of monounsatured, polunsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Some of the best sources of fat in our diet are butter, olive oil, avocadoo il, peanut oil as well as eggs, fish and poultry. We need to avoid unprocessed meats and eat more of the natural occuring oils that are in nuts, seeds, and yes, the avocado.